Confessions of a 20 Something: A Good Book
August 10, 2011By Ana Guthrie

Everybody's writing a book or memoir these days. We've seen our share of pop-culture and/or gossip books.


Last week, thousands flocked to South Florida's Pembroke Lakes Mall to meet Wendy Williams and have her sign copies of "The Wendy Williams Experience," her newest bestseller. Trick Daddy penned a book recently. Antonia (Toya) Carter's new title, "Priceless Inspirations" drops this week; so does Tyra Banks' science fiction hodgepodge novel "Modelland." No, I didn't mean to write "album" or "single." You read  correctly. Book. Title. Novel.


Everyone...I mean EVERYONE...puts out books, it appears.In the literary world, we often joke that for every 10 authors, there's one reader.


I'm not saying that we shouldn't unwind with juicy titles. After all,I've done my share of konking outwith a good page turner these days, particularly because I'm on vacation PLUS it's been rainy all week in Miami.


And, to be sure, I'm not knocking celebrity-turned-writers. Each of us has a story to tell.



But what if in lieu of Diary of a Video Vixen we devoured Diary of a Human Trafficking and Sex Slave Activist? What if we came across more books that sparked awareness, like Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson or A Thousand Sisters by Lisa Shannon? The fact that these titles went on to smash bestsellers lists proves that books on social responsibility DON'T equate to utter boredom and disappointing sales.



I look forward to someone penning a title that describes their accounts on the ground while helping to end the desperate situation in Somalia. The region known as the Horn of Africa has been experiencing desertification for decades. The Somali people have nowhere to go and, what's more,little food to sustain them during relocations. So they're stuck and STARVING. Recently, almost every broadcast news network has reported that the past 90 days have been particularly dire for Africa's Horn. Some 29,000 children have died as a result of the famine. Can you wrap your head around that number? Sadly, that figure is 29,000 not 2,900.



Incredible.



This, friends,is truly book...or awareness...worthy. I will certainly continue reading...and helping within my sphere of influence. Will you?


To access a good Huffington Post article on the Horn of Africa disaster, click here. To donate to help those living in the Horn of Africa, visit the Samaritan Purse's ministry website for that region.





Ana Guthrie is a super cool chick with a heart for God and love for youth culture. She doubles as a not-so-naughty librarian and instructor at Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida.


Visitor Comments (1)
Oh Yes!
Posted By ALICIAR on August 15, 2011
I get so annoyed when I see celebs writing books! And don't get me wrong, as you mentioned, it's great for them to share their story also.

But when the books have little to no substance, to me, it's simply a waste of paper and they should just stick to their day job.

Nevertheless, hopefully more books of awareness and genuine inspiration will rise to the top of the best seller list.
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